Gotcha Date:October 24th 2007Birthday:March 24th 2007Favorite Toy:Squeeky AirKongs and Kong with peanut butter. (I really like to chew on tissues ... but they hide the kleenex & TP where I can't get them!)Arrival Story:Rick was adopted from the city animal shelter. ~~~~~~~ Our sweetest SAM has been at the Rainbow Bridge since Feb, 2006, and our hearts were broken. ... Summer 2007, we were ready to contact Labrador rescue groups. We met some Labbies ... we knew we could never find one like SAM ... . We happen to be on the Email list for our city's notifications, and we got one in October 2007 re: construction of the new animal shelter. I clicked on their Petfinder link, scrolled through adoptable dogs and WOW, the chocolate Labrador-Mix pup jumped off the computer screen, I had to immediately go see him! He's about 6 or 7 months old, has "issues" from being dumped twice at the shelter -- but this pup came home with us. O boy, do we have lots to learn from each other!!
~ ~ ~ ~ We named him Rick after the hero in "Casablanca." ~ ~ ~ ~ ================================== =====
*** 03/2009 update from Rick: I am a Labrador Retriever-and-Unknown Mixed Breed according to DNA analysis (Mars Wisdom Panel MX), but I just say I'm one of a kind!Bio:"CASABLANCA" 1942 motion picture~
Rick: You know what I want to hear.
Sam: [lying] No, I don't.
Rick: You played it for her, you can play it for me!
Sam: [lying] Well, I don't think I can remember...
Rick: If she can stand it, I can! Play it!Forums Motto:what's a doodle-pup ?The Last Forum I Posted In:Worst thing your dog has ever eaten?I've Been On Dogster Since:

"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."

The only thing I know about my puppyhood: around the age of 6 to 7 months, I was dumped at the city shelter ... . The shelter folks said that I looked like a retriever mix: my coloring/chocolate Labrador, but the longer haircoat with feathering on my hindend/Golden Retriever.

And I got adopted by a couple who was looking for a Labbie ... even though they know that a dog's physical appearance is not proof of it's breed, I was just right for them!

We have the best life! But I have to tell yall, I live with a couple of nerds ... They thought it would be "fun" to get my DNA tested in honor of my 2nd birthday (I celebrated on March 24th).

So I went to the veterinarian's, got poked with a needle, my blood specimen was sent to Mars Veterinary for the Wisdom Panel MX Mixed-Breed Canine DNA Test { www.wisdompanel.com }. And here's what the mixed-breed analysis found (drumroll, please)~~

I am an "intermediate mix of LABRADOR RETRIEVER. There are also faint signals from OTHER breeds which are not strong enough to identify with confidence." That means, at least 25% but up to 49% of my DNA comes from Labrador Retriever {my parents). And it probably means the Mix goes back to my great-great-grandparents.

O.K., well ... that was fun ... . I sure like my AirKong squeeky that I got for my birthday! And I got to explore a different park every day and sniff out other critters. And I really had fun going to work with one of my persons.
But my DNA report -- I just luv to chew up paper!

"It was March 2, 1836, when 59 delegates signed a document in Washington-on-the-Brazos that declared the Republic of Texas was free and independent of Mexico.

The Texas declaration, written by Tennessean George Childress, was similar to Thomas Jefferson's 1776 American document and contained a statement of the nature of government, listed grievances and ultimately declared independence from Mexico.
...
Texas' declaration occurred while the Mexican army hammered the walls of the Alamo, which fell on March 6 {1836}, and a little more than a month before the April 21 defeat of the Mexican Army at San Jacinto. Mexican general and dictator Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was captured April 22, ending the revolution.
Texas remained a republic until becoming the 28th U.S. State in 1845."

Copyright Associated Press / NBC Dallas-Fort Worth ~~~~~~~~~~

I don't see the big deal ... it doesn't involve food, playing, chasing other critters. O well, some people are sure proud to be Texans.

Yep, only in North Texas!
Saturday the 4th, I had so much fun at a park~ chewing sticks, walking up the little hills, watching folks play frisbee-golf. It was 84 degrees ! a record high for January.
Today, we went for a walk and it was so wiiindy, my person kept tripping over my feet. Windchill 30 degrees.
Tomorrow, maybe freezing rain/ice ... I plan to be a wildchild just to test the pawrents' patience ...